Tori-shima 1.62

Tori-shima, literally meaning "Bird Island", is an uninhabited Japanese island in the Pacific Ocean. The volcanic island is part of the Izu IslandsGeographyTori-shima is located in the Philippine Sea approximately 600km south of Tokyo and 76km north of Lot's Wife. The roughly circular-shaped island is listed as a Class A active volcano by the Japan Meteorological Agency. The island is the above-water portion of a submarine volcano, whose submerged caldera portion to the north of the island continues to erupt underwater. Volcanic activity on the island itself was last recorded in 2002, accompanied by earthquake swarms. The main peak on the island, Io-zan has a height of 394m, and the island has a circumference of 6.5km. The total area of the island is 4.79km2HistoryTori-shima was known to Japanese fishermen and mariners since at least the early Edo period, but was uninhabited aside from occasional shipwreck survivors. In 1841, 14-year-old Nakahama Manjirō and four friends were shipwrecked on Tori-shima until rescued by the American whaler ship John Howland (Captain William H. Whitfield commanding). Award-winning Japanese writer Akira Yoshimura researched and wrote about 15 similar instances. The island was settled in Meiji period, with the primary economic activity being the gathering of guano from the abundant short-tailed albatross, who use the island as their nesting grounds. A major volcanic eruption was recorded in 1871. The island was administratively grouped with the Ogasawara islands in August 1898, but was transferred to the administration of Hachijojima in April 1901. The population of 150 inhabitants was killed by the major volcanic eruption of 1902. Torishima was never repopulated.